The French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has gone on trial on charges of embezzling money from the European parliament, in a high-profile case that could endanger her presidential ambitions.

French Far-right's Marine Le Pen Faces Court Hearing Over Fake EU Jobs

In June, French President Emmanuel Macron gambled by calling for a snap elections. The result has left France in a limbo- with a fragmented Parliament, no clear majority and no clear way out of the political crisis. What does this mean for Macron's political future?

Could Jean-Luc Melenchon be France's next PM? Will France get far-left Prime Minister?

A broad left-wing coalition in France is leading the legislative election, ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's centrists and the far right with no group winning an absolute majority, the news agency AFP reported on Sunday (July 7) citing exit poll projections.

A broad left-wing coalition in France is leading the legislative election, ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's centrists and the far right with no group winning an absolute majority, the news agency AFP reported on Sunday (July 7) citing exit poll projections. Projections by four leading polling firms said that the New Popular Front (NFP) alliance was on course to have 172-215 MPs with Macron's alliance on 150-180 seats and the far-right National Rally (RN) on 115-155. According to interior ministry figures, 59.71 per cent of the electorate had taken part in the elections till 5 pm and three more hours to go. Here's a look at the latest updates from the elections: > Counting of votes has started in rural areas where ballots have closed already. Also read | Emmanuel Macron: From a banker to the youngest President of France > President Macron called the elections three years ahead of time after his forces were trounced in June's European parliament vote, a gamble which seems to have backfired. > In the first round of the elections, far-right leader Marine Le Pen's RN party came on top and is on course to repeat the feat in Sunday's run-off races. > If the exit polls turn out to be true, Parliament would be left divided into three big groups with hugely different platforms and no tradition at all of working together. > French voters have punished Macron and his ruling alliance for a cost of living crisis and failing public services, as well as over immigration and security. > Le Pen and her party have successfully tapped into those grievances, spreading their appeal way beyond their traditional strongholds along the Mediterranean coast and in the country's northern rust belt, a report by the news agency Reuters said. > However, the left-wing alliance managed to edge them out of the first spot. (With inputs from agencies)

French elections 2024: Left alliance projected to win most seats, major setback to far right, say exit polls

Riots and violence erupted across France after the second round of parliamentary elections sprung major surprises. Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party was stopped short of&nbsp;forming the government by the left-wing alliance&nbsp;and&nbsp;President Emmanuel Macron's centrist coalition.&nbsp;

Video clips going viral on social media showed masked protesters storming the streets, igniting flares and causing disturbances as riot police attempted to neutralise them.&nbsp;

According to reports, thousands had gathered&nbsp;at the Place de la République in the capital city of Paris to celebrate the victory of the left-wing alliance when some demonstrators clashed with the police.&nbsp;

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🚨 HAPPENING NOW. 🚨 France 🇫🇷 
 
The Far-Left are violently rioting. 
 
When they lost the first round of elections last week, they resorted to public violence. 
 
Now that they are winning.. they are resorting to public violence. 
 
I’m pretty sure we know who the extremists are. <a href="https://t.co/YD5GNVdaab">pic.twitter.com/YD5GNVdaab</a>
— Kosher🎗🧡 (@KosherCockney) <a href="https://twitter.com/KosherCockney/status/1810069177685737725?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Frenchelections?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Frenchelections</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/france?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#france</a> Sunday 230pm. Fearing violence and démonstrations after the results tonight, some banks in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris</a> barricade themselves. <a href="https://t.co/GGSjBfaIMn">pic.twitter.com/GGSjBfaIMn</a>
— LAURENCE HAIM (@lauhaim) <a href="https://twitter.com/lauhaim/status/1809927723269189711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 7, 2024</a></blockquote>
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In the northern city of Lille, clashes were reported between&nbsp;far-left activists and police where the latter used tear gas, according to media reports.

Meanwhile,&nbsp;25 people were arrested in Rennes, western France, after riot police deployed tear gas against a group of left-wing demonstrators chanting “Everyone hates the police”.

Anticipating there might be violence post the election results, the French government had pressed an additional 30,000 police force to ensure that&nbsp;neither the far-left nor the far-right succeeded in “creating disorder".&nbsp;

Notably, the final week of electioneering had also been marred by violence with several candidates, across party lines suffering physical attacks.&nbsp;

“This campaign is short, less than three weeks. However, we have counted 51 candidates, deputies, or campaigners who have been physically assaulted. I am not counting verbal aggressions here,” said Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin over the weekend.&nbsp;

Fearing protests, shopfronts and banks were also boarded up and barricades set up as viral images on social media showed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/left-wins-in-france-what-next-frances-far-right-sad-disappointed-over-election-result-738789">Watch |&nbsp;Left wins in France: What next? | France's far-right 'sad &amp; disappointed' over election result</a>

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<h2>What happened in the election?</h2>

According to reports,&nbsp;the leftwing New Popular Front won 182 seats, followed by Macron's Together alliance with 163 seats while Le Pen finished with 143 seats in the bag.

Although the left-wing alliance emerged as the biggest winner, the number of seats were still more than 100 short of an absolute majority which stands at 289 in the 577-seat National Assembly.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-french-elections-ended-in-a-hung-parliament-what-happens-next-738795">Also read |&nbsp;Explained: French elections ended in a hung parliament. What happens next?</a>

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who was appointed by the president only seven months ago, said he would hand in his resignation on Monday morning.&nbsp;

Attal's fate now lies in Macron's hands as a stable government is needed with only three weeks to go before the start of the Paris Olympics.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies

Riots and violence erupted across France after the second round of parliamentary elections sprung major surprises. Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party was stopped short of forming the government by the left-wing alliance and President Emmanuel Macron's centrist coalition.

Riots and violence erupted across France after the second round of parliamentary elections sprung major surprises. Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party was stopped short of forming the government by the left-wing alliance and President Emmanuel Macron's centrist coalition. Video clips going viral on social media showed masked protesters storming the streets, igniting flares and causing disturbances as riot police attempted to neutralise them. According to reports, thousands had gathered at the Place de la République in the capital city of Paris to celebrate the victory of the left-wing alliance when some demonstrators clashed with the police. 🚨 HAPPENING NOW. 🚨 France 🇫🇷 The Far-Left are violently rioting. When they lost the first round of elections last week, they resorted to public violence. Now that they are winning.. they are resorting to public violence. I’m pretty sure we know who the extremists are. pic.twitter.com/YD5GNVdaab — Kosher🎗🧡 (@KosherCockney) July 7, 2024 × #Frenchelections. #france Sunday 230pm. Fearing violence and démonstrations after the results tonight, some banks in #Paris barricade themselves. pic.twitter.com/GGSjBfaIMn — LAURENCE HAIM (@lauhaim) July 7, 2024 × In the northern city of Lille, clashes were reported between far-left activists and police where the latter used tear gas, according to media reports. Meanwhile, 25 people were arrested in Rennes, western France, after riot police deployed tear gas against a group of left-wing demonstrators chanting “Everyone hates the police”. Anticipating there might be violence post the election results, the French government had pressed an additional 30,000 police force to ensure that neither the far-left nor the far-right succeeded in “creating disorder". Notably, the final week of electioneering had also been marred by violence with several candidates, across party lines suffering physical attacks. “This campaign is short, less than three weeks. However, we have counted 51 candidates, deputies, or campaigners who have been physically assaulted. I am not counting verbal aggressions here,” said Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin over the weekend. Fearing protests, shopfronts and banks were also boarded up and barricades set up as viral images on social media showed. Watch | Left wins in France: What next? | France's far-right 'sad & disappointed' over election result × What happened in the election? According to reports, the leftwing New Popular Front won 182 seats, followed by Macron's Together alliance with 163 seats while Le Pen finished with 143 seats in the bag. Although the left-wing alliance emerged as the biggest winner, the number of seats were still more than 100 short of an absolute majority which stands at 289 in the 577-seat National Assembly. Also read | Explained: French elections ended in a hung parliament. What happens next? Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who was appointed by the president only seven months ago, said he would hand in his resignation on Monday morning. Attal's fate now lies in Macron's hands as a stable government is needed with only three weeks to go before the start of the Paris Olympics. (With inputs from agencies

France elections: Violent clashes break out following left's surprise win

As France gears up to vote in the final round of the rushed parliamentary elections on Sunday (Jul 7),&nbsp;National Rally's (NR) Marine Le Pen remains in the driving seat to dethrone Emmanuel Macron and form the&nbsp;first far-right government since World War II.

Le Pen's father Jean-Marie Le Pen founded NR (known as National Front between 1972 to 2018) which she joined in 1986 and later became the vice president in 2003. She succeded her father as the president in 2011 but remained in his shadows.

To craft her own identity, Le Pen, a twice-divorced mother of three, removed her father from the party in 2015 amidst a host of controversies.&nbsp;

She ran for presidency in 2012, 2019 and 2022, albeit unsuccessfully. However, in the last two instances (2019, and 2022), she secured 33.9 per cent and 48.5 per cent of the votes respectively against Macron.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/france-elections-what-are-marine-le-pens-plans-for-france-736738">Watch |&nbsp;France elections: What are Marine Le Pen's plans for France?</a>

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<h2>What does Le Pen stand for?</h2>

Le Pen, akin to his father's core anti-immigration beliefs, remains stubborn on the issue. She has repeatedly called for lowering the number of immigrants permitted to enter France.

Le Pen's party has also proposed the restriction of the rights of immigrants to access some social services in France, including housing, and has supported the services’ preference for French nationals.

Under Le Pen, NR is also advocating the prohibition of Muslim women wearing headscarves in public spaces.&nbsp;

In a recent interview, Le Pen chalked out her plans regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, stating that she would bar&nbsp;Ukraine from attacking Russia with French-supplied weapons and would stop any plans to deploy French troops to Ukraine to support the instructors already posted there.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-elections-2024-could-le-pens-far-right-seize-control-of-parliament-in-seismic-election-738592">Also read |&nbsp;French Elections 2024: Could Le Pen's far-right seize control of parliament in 'seismic' election?</a>

Le Pen has claimed that if she wins the presidency, Paris would withdraw&nbsp;from NATO's integrated command structure.&nbsp;

Le Pen's rise to the top, however, has not gone down well in certain sections of French society. French football star Kylian Mbappe recently warned that the country was in a&nbsp;“catastrophic” political situation.&nbsp;

“I think now, more than ever, you need to get (out to vote).&nbsp;It is an urgent juncture. We cannot let our country fall into the hands of these people. It is pressing, we saw the results, it is catastrophic," said Mbappe during the ongoing European Championship.&nbsp;

“We really hope this is going to change, that everyone is going to rally together to go and vote, and vote for the right party.”

The final round of voting begins at&nbsp;08:00 (06:00 GMT) on Sunday and the first exit polls will be made public just 12 hours later.&nbsp;A party must win 289 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly for an outright majority.

(With inputs from agencies)

As France gears up to vote in the final round of the rushed parliamentary elections on Sunday (Jul 7), National Rally's (NR) Marine Le Pen remains in the driving seat to dethrone Emmanuel Macron and form the first far-right government since World War II.

As France gears up to vote in the final round of the rushed parliamentary elections on Sunday (Jul 7), National Rally's (NR) Marine Le Pen remains in the driving seat to dethrone Emmanuel Macron and form the first far-right government since World War II. Le Pen's father Jean-Marie Le Pen founded NR (known as National Front between 1972 to 2018) which she joined in 1986 and later became the vice president in 2003. She succeded her father as the president in 2011 but remained in his shadows. To craft her own identity, Le Pen, a twice-divorced mother of three, removed her father from the party in 2015 amidst a host of controversies. She ran for presidency in 2012, 2019 and 2022, albeit unsuccessfully. However, in the last two instances (2019, and 2022), she secured 33.9 per cent and 48.5 per cent of the votes respectively against Macron. Watch | France elections: What are Marine Le Pen's plans for France? × What does Le Pen stand for? Le Pen, akin to his father's core anti-immigration beliefs, remains stubborn on the issue. She has repeatedly called for lowering the number of immigrants permitted to enter France. Le Pen's party has also proposed the restriction of the rights of immigrants to access some social services in France, including housing, and has supported the services’ preference for French nationals. Under Le Pen, NR is also advocating the prohibition of Muslim women wearing headscarves in public spaces. In a recent interview, Le Pen chalked out her plans regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, stating that she would bar Ukraine from attacking Russia with French-supplied weapons and would stop any plans to deploy French troops to Ukraine to support the instructors already posted there. Also read | French Elections 2024: Could Le Pen's far-right seize control of parliament in 'seismic' election? Le Pen has claimed that if she wins the presidency, Paris would withdraw from NATO's integrated command structure. Le Pen's rise to the top, however, has not gone down well in certain sections of French society. French football star Kylian Mbappe recently warned that the country was in a “catastrophic” political situation. “I think now, more than ever, you need to get (out to vote). It is an urgent juncture. We cannot let our country fall into the hands of these people. It is pressing, we saw the results, it is catastrophic," said Mbappe during the ongoing European Championship. “We really hope this is going to change, that everyone is going to rally together to go and vote, and vote for the right party.” The final round of voting begins at 08:00 (06:00 GMT) on Sunday and the first exit polls will be made public just 12 hours later. A party must win 289 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly for an outright majority. (With inputs from agencies)

Who is Marine Le Pen, far-right French leader, challenging Macron?

Contrary to most opinion polls that predicted a sweep by Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party, the second round of the French parliamentary elections have served a major surprise. The left-wing alliance has won the most seats, beating both the far right and President Emmanuel Macron's centrist coalition.&nbsp;

According to reports,&nbsp;the leftwing New Popular Front won 182 seats, followed by Macron's Together alliance with 163 seats while Le Pen finished with 143 seats in the bag. Although the left-wing alliance emerged as the biggest winner, the number of seats were still more than 100 short of an absolute majority which stands at 289 in the 577-seat National Assembly.&nbsp;

The French left will choose a candidate for prime minister from within their coalition within the week,&nbsp;Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure said.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, RN leader Jordan Bardella, who was touted to be the youngest prime minister in the country, blamed "unnatural political alliances" for stopping their rise to power.&nbsp;

Notably, after the disappointing first round of elections,&nbsp;France’s left wing and centre banded together to form a coalition called the Republican Front to try and block RN from amassing an absolute majority. They did so by withdrawing 200 of their candidates where there was a possibility of three-way races.&nbsp;

The left-wing alliance is led by radical leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon whose&nbsp;France Unbowed (LFI) is regarded as far-left by political commentators and rivals. LFI emerged as the single largest party by winning 94 seats in the assembly.&nbsp;

After the win, Mélenchon was quick to remind Macron to tender his resignation and accept the defeat.&nbsp;

"The president's defeat is clear; the president must accept his defeat, the prime minister must go," said&nbsp;Mélenchon.&nbsp;

"The president has the power and the duty to call us, the New Popular Front to govern. We are ready," he added.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/french-elections-2024-run-off-elections-may-lead-to-a-hung-parliament-polls-738758">Watch |&nbsp;French Elections 2024: Run-off elections may lead to a hung parliament: Polls</a>

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<h2>PM to hand resignation</h2>

While Macron is yet to take a call, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who was appointed by the president only seven months ago, said he would hand in his resignation on Monday morning.&nbsp;

"Tomorrow morning I will hand in my resignation," he said. "A new era starts tonight."

Attal's fate now lies in the president's hands as a stable government is needed with only three weeks to go before the start of the Paris Olympics. The popular PM said he was ready to remain in the post "for as long as duty demands".&nbsp;

As for Macron, the outcome of the legislative elections, called&nbsp;three years ahead of schedule in a bid to reshape the political landscape by him, leaves France without any clear path to forming a new government. The president now has the task to steer France through its most severe political uncertainty in decades which appears to have been engineered by his 'snap' decision.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

Contrary to most opinion polls that predicted a sweep by Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party, the second round of the French parliamentary elections have served a major surprise.

Contrary to most opinion polls that predicted a sweep by Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party, the second round of the French parliamentary elections have served a major surprise. The left-wing alliance has won the most seats, beating both the far right and President Emmanuel Macron's centrist coalition. According to reports, the leftwing New Popular Front won 182 seats, followed by Macron's Together alliance with 163 seats while Le Pen finished with 143 seats in the bag. Although the left-wing alliance emerged as the biggest winner, the number of seats were still more than 100 short of an absolute majority which stands at 289 in the 577-seat National Assembly. The French left will choose a candidate for prime minister from within their coalition within the week, Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure said. Meanwhile, RN leader Jordan Bardella, who was touted to be the youngest prime minister in the country, blamed "unnatural political alliances" for stopping their rise to power. Notably, after the disappointing first round of elections, France’s left wing and centre banded together to form a coalition called the Republican Front to try and block RN from amassing an absolute majority. They did so by withdrawing 200 of their candidates where there was a possibility of three-way races. The left-wing alliance is led by radical leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon whose France Unbowed (LFI) is regarded as far-left by political commentators and rivals. LFI emerged as the single largest party by winning 94 seats in the assembly. After the win, Mélenchon was quick to remind Macron to tender his resignation and accept the defeat. "The president's defeat is clear; the president must accept his defeat, the prime minister must go," said Mélenchon. "The president has the power and the duty to call us, the New Popular Front to govern. We are ready," he added. Watch | French Elections 2024: Run-off elections may lead to a hung parliament: Polls × PM to hand resignation While Macron is yet to take a call, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who was appointed by the president only seven months ago, said he would hand in his resignation on Monday morning. "Tomorrow morning I will hand in my resignation," he said. "A new era starts tonight." Attal's fate now lies in the president's hands as a stable government is needed with only three weeks to go before the start of the Paris Olympics. The popular PM said he was ready to remain in the post "for as long as duty demands". As for Macron, the outcome of the legislative elections, called three years ahead of schedule in a bid to reshape the political landscape by him, leaves France without any clear path to forming a new government. The president now has the task to steer France through its most severe political uncertainty in decades which appears to have been engineered by his 'snap' decision. (With inputs from agencies)

France elections: Winning leftist alliance to name PM later this week

As the French gear up for their parliamentary elections, results are speculated to leave President Emmanuel Macron in an awkward position with a far-right prime minister and weaken his stature abroad.

After the first round of polls, Marcon's centrist alliance came in third, showing a possibility of their defeat in Sunday’s runoff. If the far-right National Rally and its allies, who focus on anti-immigration policies, win this parliamentary election, Macron may be in a tough spot to work with a prime minister having different views on vital issues.

To form a functioning government, Macron may have to offer a deal to his rivals. His plans that focused on boosting France's economy through pro-business policies may be tarnished after this election.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-snap-polls-exit-polls-show-le-pens-party-falling-short-of-outright-majority-738388">France snap elections: Exit Polls show Le Pen's party falling short of outright majority</a>

<h2>Who is Emmanuel Macron?</h2>

The youngest-ever President of France, Emmanuel Macron, started his movement "En Marche !" in 2016. The centrist and liberal party was later renamed La République En Marche ! in 2022, which translates to Republic Forward. He is the eighth President of the Fifth Republic of France since his victory in the presidential election in 2017.&nbsp;

Born in December 1977 in Amiens, Macron studied philosophy and later graduated from the renowned Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA) in 2004. He worked as a civil servant with the Inspectorate General of Finance and an investment banker at Rothschild &amp; Co. He became Deputy General Secretary of the Presidency of the Republic in 2012 and was appointed as the Minister for Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs in 2014, where he was in the office for two years.

In 2017, Macron was at the centre of a historic victory in the elections against populist Marine Le Pen, who is posing a threat to him in the current parliamentary elections. He was re-elected as the president in 2022.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/frances-government-spokesperson-attacked-on-the-campaign-trail-738006">France’s government spokesperson attacked on campaign trail</a>

Macron has also been surrounded by controversies regarding many controversial labour reforms that he signed which give companies more liberty in hiring and firing employees.&nbsp;

After Trump announced that the US would exit the Paris Agreement, an international climate accord adopted at the UN, Macron took a strong stance that the agreement is non-negotiable.

Macron will not step down from his office until the end of his term in 2027 regardless of the 2024 elections.

(With inputs from agencies)

As the French gear up for their parliamentary elections, results are speculated to leave President Emmanuel Macron in an awkward position with a far-right prime minister and weaken his stature abroad.

As the French gear up for their parliamentary elections, results are speculated to leave President Emmanuel Macron in an awkward position with a far-right prime minister and weaken his stature abroad. After the first round of polls, Marcon's centrist alliance came in third, showing a possibility of their defeat in Sunday’s runoff. If the far-right National Rally and its allies, who focus on anti-immigration policies, win this parliamentary election, Macron may be in a tough spot to work with a prime minister having different views on vital issues. To form a functioning government, Macron may have to offer a deal to his rivals. His plans that focused on boosting France's economy through pro-business policies may be tarnished after this election. Also Read | France snap elections: Exit Polls show Le Pen's party falling short of outright majority Who is Emmanuel Macron? The youngest-ever President of France, Emmanuel Macron, started his movement "En Marche !" in 2016. The centrist and liberal party was later renamed La République En Marche ! in 2022, which translates to Republic Forward. He is the eighth President of the Fifth Republic of France since his victory in the presidential election in 2017. Born in December 1977 in Amiens, Macron studied philosophy and later graduated from the renowned Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA) in 2004. He worked as a civil servant with the Inspectorate General of Finance and an investment banker at Rothschild & Co. He became Deputy General Secretary of the Presidency of the Republic in 2012 and was appointed as the Minister for Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs in 2014, where he was in the office for two years. In 2017, Macron was at the centre of a historic victory in the elections against populist Marine Le Pen, who is posing a threat to him in the current parliamentary elections. He was re-elected as the president in 2022. Also Read | France’s government spokesperson attacked on campaign trail Macron has also been surrounded by controversies regarding many controversial labour reforms that he signed which give companies more liberty in hiring and firing employees. After Trump announced that the US would exit the Paris Agreement, an international climate accord adopted at the UN, Macron took a strong stance that the agreement is non-negotiable. Macron will not step down from his office until the end of his term in 2027 regardless of the 2024 elections. (With inputs from agencies)

Emmanuel Macron: From a banker to the youngest President of France

France's tense election campaign reached its final pause on Saturday (July 6),&nbsp;before Sunday's second round runoff amid expectations of potential stalemate and stagnation for this major European power.

Final opinion polls released on Friday indicated that Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) is unlikely to secure an outright majority in the National Assembly.

But&nbsp;President Emmanuel Macron's strategic gamble to prompt a clear choice between his centrist policies and the polarising extremes of the left and right seems to have faltered.

<h2>France runoff elections: What does it mean?</h2>

With no clear ruling majority in sight, Macron faces the prospect of navigating the remaining three years of his presidency under uncertain political conditions.

Polls by Ipsos and Ifop suggest that the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic RN might win between 170 and 210 seats in the National Assembly, falling short of the 289 seats required for an absolute majority.

The Ipsos Talan poll for Le Monde, Radio France, and France Televisions forecasts the RN narrowly leading the left-wing New Popular Front, which is projected to secure between 145 and 175 seats. In contrast, Macron's centrist allies, who held 250 seats in the outgoing parliament, are predicted to win only 118 to 148 seats.

"Either the RN wins an absolute majority and I can, from Sunday, embark on my project to rebuild...or the country is blocked,"&nbsp;Le Pen said.&nbsp;

On the other hand, Prime Minister Gabriel&nbsp;Attal has pledged to continue in his role "as long as necessary".

Macron, whose term lasts until April 2027, now faces the possibility of cohabitating with political adversaries.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-snap-elections-macron-vows-to-stay-in-charge-until-2027-as-far-right-eyes-rout-734465">France snap elections: Macron vows to stay in charge 'until 2027' as far right eyes rout</a>

The prospect of France potentially forming its first far-right government since World War II has alarmed European allies.

Even if the RN falls short, as current polling suggests, France will navigate uncharted political territory as Paris prepares to host the Olympic Games.

Also watch |&nbsp;France elections: Fear of far-right in French neighbourhood | Discord in Macron camp as well

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Meanwhile, in response to the far-right surge seen in the first round of voting on June 30, centrist and left-wing parties have formed second-round coalitions to curb Le Pen's momentum. Le Pen has criticised these alliances as attempts to undermine the people's will by creating a "single party" to protect the political elite.

However, it remains uncertain how many voters, whose preferred candidates withdrew to support others against the RN, will participate in Sunday's runoff.

France's tense election campaign reached its final pause on Saturday (July 6), before Sunday's second round runoff amid expectations of potential stalemate and stagnation for this major European power.

France's tense election campaign reached its final pause on Saturday (July 6), before Sunday's second round runoff amid expectations of potential stalemate and stagnation for this major European power. Final opinion polls released on Friday indicated that Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) is unlikely to secure an outright majority in the National Assembly. But President Emmanuel Macron's strategic gamble to prompt a clear choice between his centrist policies and the polarising extremes of the left and right seems to have faltered. France runoff elections: What does it mean? With no clear ruling majority in sight, Macron faces the prospect of navigating the remaining three years of his presidency under uncertain political conditions. Polls by Ipsos and Ifop suggest that the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic RN might win between 170 and 210 seats in the National Assembly, falling short of the 289 seats required for an absolute majority. The Ipsos Talan poll for Le Monde, Radio France, and France Televisions forecasts the RN narrowly leading the left-wing New Popular Front, which is projected to secure between 145 and 175 seats. In contrast, Macron's centrist allies, who held 250 seats in the outgoing parliament, are predicted to win only 118 to 148 seats. "Either the RN wins an absolute majority and I can, from Sunday, embark on my project to rebuild...or the country is blocked," Le Pen said. On the other hand, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has pledged to continue in his role "as long as necessary". Macron, whose term lasts until April 2027, now faces the possibility of cohabitating with political adversaries. Also read | France snap elections: Macron vows to stay in charge 'until 2027' as far right eyes rout The prospect of France potentially forming its first far-right government since World War II has alarmed European allies. Even if the RN falls short, as current polling suggests, France will navigate uncharted political territory as Paris prepares to host the Olympic Games. Also watch | France elections: Fear of far-right in French neighbourhood | Discord in Macron camp as well × Meanwhile, in response to the far-right surge seen in the first round of voting on June 30, centrist and left-wing parties have formed second-round coalitions to curb Le Pen's momentum. Le Pen has criticised these alliances as attempts to undermine the people's will by creating a "single party" to protect the political elite. However, it remains uncertain how many voters, whose preferred candidates withdrew to support others against the RN, will participate in Sunday's runoff.

France snap elections: Exit Polls show Le Pen's party falling short of outright majority

The recent murder of a 12-year girl has left France shocked. The gruesome murder has now given rise to criticism of the nation's immigration policies.

The child who has only been identified as 'Lola' was found raped and murdered, her brutalised body stuffed in a trunk. A 24-year-old woman with psychiatric issues who was later identified as an illegal immigrant was charged with the crime.&nbsp;On Tuesday French President Macron met with the victim's family and "offered his condolences".

AFP reports that some politicians in the opposition have already started using the murder to attack Macron's government and its immigration policies.

Reportedly, the suspect, an Algerian, was in France on a student visa, which had expired. She had been ordered to leave the country for overstaying the visa.&nbsp;

Speaking during a regular government questions session in the French Parliament, far-right leader Marine Le Pen said "too many crimes are being committed by clandestine immigrants one has not been able or willing to deport." &nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shocking-12-year-old-girl-found-in-box-in-paris-woman-charged-with-rape-and-murder-526321">Shocking! 12-year-old girl found in box in Paris, woman charged with rape and murder</a>

"You owe it to us to come up with urgent answers and uncompromising solutions to make sure the law is applied and respected in our country," Le Pen said to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who as per Reuters had admonished the far-right leader asking her to "show some decency."

Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti too expressed his disappointment with Le Pen over her statement in the Parliament calling it "petty politics".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/man-found-guilty-of-killing-california-student-kristin-smart-in-1996-526614" hreflang="en">Man found guilty of killing California student Kristin Smart in 1996</a>

"I'll speak as I find. Doing petty politics, using the coffin of a 12-year-old girl as a stepping stone, is shameful," he said adding that be it may that the suspect was ordered to leave France, it is not known whether her lawyer had appealed the order. He further said that in case an appeal had been filed, the suspect would've been in her right to stay in the country.&nbsp;

Addressing the chamber he accused Le Pen of taking advantage of circumstances. He said that "you're always there when tragedy strikes, you've been making hay out of it for years."

(With inputs from agencies)

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The recent murder of a 12-year girl has left France shocked. The gruesome murder has now given rise to criticism of the nation's immigration policies. The child who has only been identified as 'Lola' was found raped and murdered, her brutalised body stuffed in a trunk.

The recent murder of a 12-year girl has left France shocked. The gruesome murder has now given rise to criticism of the nation's immigration policies. The child who has only been identified as 'Lola' was found raped and murdered, her brutalised body stuffed in a trunk. A 24-year-old woman with psychiatric issues who was later identified as an illegal immigrant was charged with the crime. On Tuesday French President Macron met with the victim's family and "offered his condolences". AFP reports that some politicians in the opposition have already started using the murder to attack Macron's government and its immigration policies. Reportedly, the suspect, an Algerian, was in France on a student visa, which had expired. She had been ordered to leave the country for overstaying the visa. Speaking during a regular government questions session in the French Parliament, far-right leader Marine Le Pen said "too many crimes are being committed by clandestine immigrants one has not been able or willing to deport." Also read | Shocking! 12-year-old girl found in box in Paris, woman charged with rape and murder "You owe it to us to come up with urgent answers and uncompromising solutions to make sure the law is applied and respected in our country," Le Pen said to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who as per Reuters had admonished the far-right leader asking her to "show some decency." Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti too expressed his disappointment with Le Pen over her statement in the Parliament calling it "petty politics". Also read | Man found guilty of killing California student Kristin Smart in 1996 "I'll speak as I find. Doing petty politics, using the coffin of a 12-year-old girl as a stepping stone, is shameful," he said adding that be it may that the suspect was ordered to leave France, it is not known whether her lawyer had appealed the order. He further said that in case an appeal had been filed, the suspect would've been in her right to stay in the country. Addressing the chamber he accused Le Pen of taking advantage of circumstances. He said that "you're always there when tragedy strikes, you've been making hay out of it for years." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Have some decency': French oppn questions Macron's immigration policies over murder of 12-year-old Lola

French President Emmanuel&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;formally begins his&nbsp;second&nbsp;term&nbsp;in office on Saturday, maintaining suspense about his new government ahead of parliamentary elections next month that will shape his next five years in power.&nbsp;

The 44-year-old scored a solid victory in April 24 presidential polls against far-right leader Marine Le Pen, but still needs a majority in parliament to be able to push through his domestic reform agenda. &nbsp;

The identity of&nbsp;Macron's new government is expected to set the tone for campaigning, with the president suggesting he intends to name only the&nbsp;second&nbsp;woman prime minister in modern French history.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/emmanuel-macrons-party-changes-name-to-renaissance-ahead-of-parliamentary-elections-476791">Emmanuel Macron’s party changes name to ‘Renaissance’ ahead of parliamentary elections</a>

Speculation has been rife in the French media, with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and current Labour Minister Elisabeth Borne seen as possible candidates, but&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;has taken his time to name a replacement for outgoing Premier Jean Castex.

"It's been decided, but no one knows who it is," a presidential advisor told AFP on condition of anonymity.

An announcement is expected early next week.&nbsp;

Macron's Republic on the Move party has been renamed Renaissance ahead of the parliamentary polls on June 12 and 19, with several centrist and centre-right parties set to compete under the collective pro-Macron&nbsp;banner of "Together".

France's splintered left-wing parties have also agreed a tie-up under the leadership of former Trotskyist Jean-Luc Melenchon who has set his sights on a parliamentary majority to thwart&nbsp;Macron's plans.

"To go from around 60 MPs (in the current parliament) to a majority is highly improbable, but the dynamic created by the new union could mean they make major progress," Frederic Dabi, head of the Ifop polling group, told AFP this week.

Le Pen's National Rally and France's ailing mainstream right-wing party, the Republicans, are also hoping to bounce back from their disappointment in the presidential election by securing significant representation in the 577-seat parliament.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Macron warns against humiliating Putin

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Combination of&nbsp;challenges

Macron&nbsp;won re-election with promises to continue his broadly pro-business and pro-EU policies of his first&nbsp;term, with more tax cuts, welfare reform and pledged a new emphasis on environmental protection for the next five years.

The biggest change is expected to be in his style of governing.

The former investment banker repeatedly promised "a new method" that will be less top-down a move designed to tackle his reputation for elitism and high-handedness.

"For it to work, there needs to be results that are concrete and visible to people," Bernard Sananes, the head of polling group Elabe, told AFP. "If it's just about showing you're listening to people, that's great but it won't be enough."

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/macron-modi-to-hold-closed-door-talks-on-russia-ukraine-war-reports-476410">&nbsp;Macron, Modi to hold closed-door talks on Russia-Ukraine war: Reports</a>

Others wonder whether the more consultative style is in keeping with the temperament of a president who is known to centralise decision-making and once theorised that French people wanted a king-like figure at the centre of national life.&nbsp;

His short-term&nbsp;domestic priority is expected to be tackling a cost-of-living crisis that dominated the presidential campaign due to sharp rises in energy prices and other goods linked to product shortages and the war in Ukraine.

In foreign policy, where&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;will have a free hand as president irrespective of the parliamentary result, he has promised to work to deepen the 27-member European Union while managing the fallout from the Ukraine conflict.

Macron&nbsp;has positioned himself as a key link to the Kremlin through his regular talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while also authorising weapons deliveries to Ukraine and offering the partly occupied country his full support.

"Rarely has our world and our country been confronted with such a combination of&nbsp;challenges,"&nbsp;Macron&nbsp;said as he was inaugurated for his&nbsp;second&nbsp;term&nbsp;on May 7.&nbsp;

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French President Emmanuel Macron formally begins his second term in office on Saturday, maintaining suspense about his new government ahead of parliamentary elections next month that will shape his next five years in power.

French President Emmanuel Macron formally begins his second term in office on Saturday, maintaining suspense about his new government ahead of parliamentary elections next month that will shape his next five years in power. The 44-year-old scored a solid victory in April 24 presidential polls against far-right leader Marine Le Pen, but still needs a majority in parliament to be able to push through his domestic reform agenda. The identity of Macron's new government is expected to set the tone for campaigning, with the president suggesting he intends to name only the second woman prime minister in modern French history. Also read | Emmanuel Macron’s party changes name to ‘Renaissance’ ahead of parliamentary elections Speculation has been rife in the French media, with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and current Labour Minister Elisabeth Borne seen as possible candidates, but Macron has taken his time to name a replacement for outgoing Premier Jean Castex. "It's been decided, but no one knows who it is," a presidential advisor told AFP on condition of anonymity. An announcement is expected early next week. Macron's Republic on the Move party has been renamed Renaissance ahead of the parliamentary polls on June 12 and 19, with several centrist and centre-right parties set to compete under the collective pro-Macron banner of "Together". France's splintered left-wing parties have also agreed a tie-up under the leadership of former Trotskyist Jean-Luc Melenchon who has set his sights on a parliamentary majority to thwart Macron's plans. "To go from around 60 MPs (in the current parliament) to a majority is highly improbable, but the dynamic created by the new union could mean they make major progress," Frederic Dabi, head of the Ifop polling group, told AFP this week. Le Pen's National Rally and France's ailing mainstream right-wing party, the Republicans, are also hoping to bounce back from their disappointment in the presidential election by securing significant representation in the 577-seat parliament. Watch | Gravitas: Macron warns against humiliating Putin Combination of challenges Macron won re-election with promises to continue his broadly pro-business and pro-EU policies of his first term, with more tax cuts, welfare reform and pledged a new emphasis on environmental protection for the next five years. The biggest change is expected to be in his style of governing. The former investment banker repeatedly promised "a new method" that will be less top-down a move designed to tackle his reputation for elitism and high-handedness. "For it to work, there needs to be results that are concrete and visible to people," Bernard Sananes, the head of polling group Elabe, told AFP. "If it's just about showing you're listening to people, that's great but it won't be enough." Also read | Macron, Modi to hold closed-door talks on Russia-Ukraine war: Reports Others wonder whether the more consultative style is in keeping with the temperament of a president who is known to centralise decision-making and once theorised that French people wanted a king-like figure at the centre of national life. His short-term domestic priority is expected to be tackling a cost-of-living crisis that dominated the presidential campaign due to sharp rises in energy prices and other goods linked to product shortages and the war in Ukraine. In foreign policy, where Macron will have a free hand as president irrespective of the parliamentary result, he has promised to work to deepen the 27-member European Union while managing the fallout from the Ukraine conflict. Macron has positioned himself as a key link to the Kremlin through his regular talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while also authorising weapons deliveries to Ukraine and offering the partly occupied country his full support. "Rarely has our world and our country been confronted with such a combination of challenges," Macron said as he was inaugurated for his second term on May 7. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

French President Emmanuel Macron starts second term with challenges mounting

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday (April 30) praised his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron for his victory in the election in Paris.

He told Hurriyet daily that "To put it correctly, the elimination and defeat of extremist ends in French elections is, in my opinion, a win because whatever we suffer is because of extremism."&nbsp;

According to Erdogan, far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen's defeat in the French election was a ''win''.

"God willing, with the result of this election, our relations will be in a much better position," he added.

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Macron had defeated Le Pen and achieved a historic score of 41.5 percent in the second round of the French presidential election.

Erdogan is in Saudi Arabia on a two-day visit, Erdogan met Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

"I believe my visit will herald a new era in the ties between our two countries. We have demonstrated our common will to enhance ties," he said.

"We agreed with Saudi Arabia to reactivate a great economic potential through organisations that will bring our investors together."&nbsp;

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/french-presidential-debate-turning-points-in-political-history-471617">French presidential debate: Turning points in political history</a>

"We announced that we, as Turkey, would support them in their bid to host EXPO 2030 in Riyadh," he added.

Erdogan and Macron have been at loggerheads with head other after the former criticised the French president's crackdown on Islamist extremism and called him "trouble for France."

Macron had slammed Erdogan due to Turkey's aggressive stance and tensions in the eastern Mediterranean and the contested &nbsp;Nagorno-Karabakh region.

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(With inputs from agencies)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday (April 30) praised his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron for his victory in the election in Paris. He told Hurriyet daily that "To put it correctly, the elimination and defeat of extremist ends in French elections is, in my opinion, a win because whatever we suffer is because of extremism.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday (April 30) praised his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron for his victory in the election in Paris. He told Hurriyet daily that "To put it correctly, the elimination and defeat of extremist ends in French elections is, in my opinion, a win because whatever we suffer is because of extremism." According to Erdogan, far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen's defeat in the French election was a ''win''. "God willing, with the result of this election, our relations will be in a much better position," he added. Macron had defeated Le Pen and achieved a historic score of 41.5 percent in the second round of the French presidential election. Erdogan is in Saudi Arabia on a two-day visit, Erdogan met Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. "I believe my visit will herald a new era in the ties between our two countries. We have demonstrated our common will to enhance ties," he said. "We agreed with Saudi Arabia to reactivate a great economic potential through organisations that will bring our investors together." Also see | French presidential debate: Turning points in political history "We announced that we, as Turkey, would support them in their bid to host EXPO 2030 in Riyadh," he added. Erdogan and Macron have been at loggerheads with head other after the former criticised the French president's crackdown on Islamist extremism and called him "trouble for France." Macron had slammed Erdogan due to Turkey's aggressive stance and tensions in the eastern Mediterranean and the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region. Watch WION's live TV: (With inputs from agencies)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls Le Pen's defeat in the French election a 'win'

There is no doubt that President Emmanuel Macron of France won a convincing reelection over Marine Le Pen, his far-right challenger, on Sunday. Macron scored a thumping 17 point margin of victory, becoming the first French leader to be reelected to a second term in 20 years.

In the view of many, the electoral system worked as it was intended to, with nearly 60% of those who voted joining together to defend against a xenophobic and nationalist far-right widely regarded as a threat to French democracy.

That is, perhaps, unless you are a supporter of Le Pen, who was blocked in the final round for a second consecutive time.

“I think we’re heading into five more years of crisis, probably worse, because people are just fed up,” Sébastien Denneulin, 46, a Le Pen supporter, said Monday morning in Roye, a northern far-right stronghold.

Even as Le Pen has edged her party into the mainstream, ensconcing it firmly in the political establishment, her supporters say they are growing frustrated with a lack of representation in the political system.

The far right enjoyed its strongest ever showing at the ballot box on Sunday, as Le Pen widened her appeal with pocketbook issues important in parts of the country like this northern region, where in the past two generations voters have shifted to the far right from the political left along with deindustrialization.

The challenge for Macron will be how to lure back into the political fold the 41.5% of voters who cast ballots for Le Pen — and the roughly 28% who opted not to vote at all. Despite the president’s clear victory, the election results disguised myriad challenges that could make his next five years in office even more tumultuous than the last.

As French news media organizations drew up maps of the nationwide breakdown of the runoff vote, they showed a widening and deepening fracture along the French equivalent of American blue and red states.

In the reddest areas of France, there was frustration that Le Pen had been defeated once again and a strong sentiment that her supporters were continuing to be shut out of the political system.

In Roye, some people gathered at the QG brasserie voiced anger when they learned of the results on their smartphones on Sunday evening. One man set fire to his voter’s card.

Tony Rochon, 39, a roofer, said he had voted for a Le Pen — either Marine or her father, Jean-Marie — all of his life. But each time, he said, other political parties had united to deny a Le Pen victory in the presidential race. Then the same thing had happened in legislative elections — also a two-round system — effectively marginalizing Le Pen’s influence in Parliament.

In 2017, for instance, while Le Pen garnered 34% of the vote in the presidential election, her party secured only eight seats in Parliament — not even enough to form a parliamentary group.

That year, Macron promised to introduce proportional representation in Parliament, which experts say would better reflect the population’s political beliefs. But he failed to fulfill his pledge.

“That’s why the only option for us is to take to the streets,” said Rochon, who joined the Yellow Vest anti-government protests in Paris. “Macron has no legitimacy.”

He and his wife, Adelaide Rochon, 33, a dental assistant who has also always voted for Le Pen’s party, said they believed that the vote had been rigged.

“We don’t know a single person around us who voted for Macron,” Adelaide Rochon said. “It’s impossible that he won.”

Not impossible, actually.

In Roye, a town of 6,000 people, two out of three voters backed Le Pen in the runoff. But nationwide Macron drew many votes — 47%, according to one poll — not necessarily because people endorsed him, but because they joined the so-called Republican front against the far right, whose politics remain anathema to a majority of French despite Le Pen’s persistent efforts to remake and soften her image.

For others, like Madeleine Rosier, a member of the leftist France Unbowed, a choice between Macron and what she deemed an unacceptable far-right candidate was no choice at all. She did not cast a ballot on Sunday after voting for Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the veteran leftist who came in third place in the first round.

“I didn’t want to grant Emmanuel Macron legitimacy,” she said.

The abstention rate — the highest in a runoff since 1969 — reflected the widespread disillusionment with the political system that sent protesters from towns like Roye to the Champs-Élysées in Paris as part of the anti-government Yellow Vest movement in 2018, the biggest political crisis of Macron’s first term.

That anger persists in many pockets of the country. In another measure of political disillusionment, more than 3 million people cast blank or null-and-void ballots — and that does not include the 13.7 million who opted not to vote at all.

Étienne Ollion, a sociologist and professor at the Polytechnique engineering school, said the importance of such voters and those who reluctantly backed Macron to keep Le Pen from power, as well as the level of abstention give Macron “a relatively limited legitimacy.”

The election results underscored a growing sense of “democratic fatigue and democratic fracture” in France, Ollion said.

Given Macron’s unfulfilled pledge to reform Parliament, Chloé Morin, a political scientist at the Jean-Jaurès Foundation, a Paris-based think tank, said there were doubts about Macron’s “capacity to take into account this extremely divided political landscape and opposition parties that will inevitably, in all logic, be little represented” in Parliament.

Daniel Cohn-Bendit, an ally of Macron and a former Green member of the European Parliament, said in an interview that “an unfair French electoral system” had led to governing that ignores the political opposition and various actors of society.

“To have a Parliament where someone who gets 42% of the votes only has about 20 lawmakers, that’s unacceptable,” he said, referring to Le Pen.

Shortly after Macron was reelected on Sunday, there were immediate signs that discontent surrounding French democracy would mark his second term.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Paris and other big cities to oppose Macron’s second term. The protests were marred by violent clashes with police, who fired tear gas in Paris to disperse the crowd.

Protesters in Paris converged from the city center to the large Place de la République, chanting a song originating from the Yellow Vest movement, “We are here, even if Macron doesn’t want it, we are here!”

By midnight, the police had cleared the Place de la République of protesters. But they had scrawled, in red, a warning on the large statue of Marianne, an emblem of the French Republic, in the middle of the square: “Beware of revenge when all the poor people stand up.”

There is no doubt that President Emmanuel Macron of France won a convincing reelection over Marine Le Pen, his far-right challenger, on Sunday. Macron scored a thumping 17 point margin of victory, becoming the first French leader to be reelected to a second term in 20 years.

There is no doubt that President Emmanuel Macron of France won a convincing reelection over Marine Le Pen, his far-right challenger, on Sunday. Macron scored a thumping 17 point margin of victory, becoming the first French leader to be reelected to a second term in 20 years. In the view of many, the electoral system worked as it was intended to, with nearly 60% of those who voted joining together to defend against a xenophobic and nationalist far-right widely regarded as a threat to French democracy. That is, perhaps, unless you are a supporter of Le Pen, who was blocked in the final round for a second consecutive time. “I think we’re heading into five more years of crisis, probably worse, because people are just fed up,” Sébastien Denneulin, 46, a Le Pen supporter, said Monday morning in Roye, a northern far-right stronghold. Even as Le Pen has edged her party into the mainstream, ensconcing it firmly in the political establishment, her supporters say they are growing frustrated with a lack of representation in the political system. The far right enjoyed its strongest ever showing at the ballot box on Sunday, as Le Pen widened her appeal with pocketbook issues important in parts of the country like this northern region, where in the past two generations voters have shifted to the far right from the political left along with deindustrialization. The challenge for Macron will be how to lure back into the political fold the 41.5% of voters who cast ballots for Le Pen — and the roughly 28% who opted not to vote at all. Despite the president’s clear victory, the election results disguised myriad challenges that could make his next five years in office even more tumultuous than the last. As French news media organizations drew up maps of the nationwide breakdown of the runoff vote, they showed a widening and deepening fracture along the French equivalent of American blue and red states. In the reddest areas of France, there was frustration that Le Pen had been defeated once again and a strong sentiment that her supporters were continuing to be shut out of the political system. In Roye, some people gathered at the QG brasserie voiced anger when they learned of the results on their smartphones on Sunday evening. One man set fire to his voter’s card. Tony Rochon, 39, a roofer, said he had voted for a Le Pen — either Marine or her father, Jean-Marie — all of his life. But each time, he said, other political parties had united to deny a Le Pen victory in the presidential race. Then the same thing had happened in legislative elections — also a two-round system — effectively marginalizing Le Pen’s influence in Parliament. In 2017, for instance, while Le Pen garnered 34% of the vote in the presidential election, her party secured only eight seats in Parliament — not even enough to form a parliamentary group. That year, Macron promised to introduce proportional representation in Parliament, which experts say would better reflect the population’s political beliefs. But he failed to fulfill his pledge. “That’s why the only option for us is to take to the streets,” said Rochon, who joined the Yellow Vest anti-government protests in Paris. “Macron has no legitimacy.” He and his wife, Adelaide Rochon, 33, a dental assistant who has also always voted for Le Pen’s party, said they believed that the vote had been rigged. “We don’t know a single person around us who voted for Macron,” Adelaide Rochon said. “It’s impossible that he won.” Not impossible, actually. In Roye, a town of 6,000 people, two out of three voters backed Le Pen in the runoff. But nationwide Macron drew many votes — 47%, according to one poll — not necessarily because people endorsed him, but because they joined the so-called Republican front against the far right, whose politics remain anathema to a majority of French despite Le Pen’s persistent efforts to remake and soften her image. For others, like Madeleine Rosier, a member of the leftist France Unbowed, a choice between Macron and what she deemed an unacceptable far-right candidate was no choice at all. She did not cast a ballot on Sunday after voting for Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the veteran leftist who came in third place in the first round. “I didn’t want to grant Emmanuel Macron legitimacy,” she said. The abstention rate — the highest in a runoff since 1969 — reflected the widespread disillusionment with the political system that sent protesters from towns like Roye to the Champs-Élysées in Paris as part of the anti-government Yellow Vest movement in 2018, the biggest political crisis of Macron’s first term. That anger persists in many pockets of the country. In another measure of political disillusionment, more than 3 million people cast blank or null-and-void ballots — and that does not include the 13.7 million who opted not to vote at all. Étienne Ollion, a sociologist and professor at the Polytechnique engineering school, said the importance of such voters and those who reluctantly backed Macron to keep Le Pen from power, as well as the level of abstention give Macron “a relatively limited legitimacy.” The election results underscored a growing sense of “democratic fatigue and democratic fracture” in France, Ollion said. Given Macron’s unfulfilled pledge to reform Parliament, Chloé Morin, a political scientist at the Jean-Jaurès Foundation, a Paris-based think tank, said there were doubts about Macron’s “capacity to take into account this extremely divided political landscape and opposition parties that will inevitably, in all logic, be little represented” in Parliament. Daniel Cohn-Bendit, an ally of Macron and a former Green member of the European Parliament, said in an interview that “an unfair French electoral system” had led to governing that ignores the political opposition and various actors of society. “To have a Parliament where someone who gets 42% of the votes only has about 20 lawmakers, that’s unacceptable,” he said, referring to Le Pen. Shortly after Macron was reelected on Sunday, there were immediate signs that discontent surrounding French democracy would mark his second term. Hundreds of protesters gathered in Paris and other big cities to oppose Macron’s second term. The protests were marred by violent clashes with police, who fired tear gas in Paris to disperse the crowd. Protesters in Paris converged from the city center to the large Place de la République, chanting a song originating from the Yellow Vest movement, “We are here, even if Macron doesn’t want it, we are here!” By midnight, the police had cleared the Place de la République of protesters. But they had scrawled, in red, a warning on the large statue of Marianne, an emblem of the French Republic, in the middle of the square: “Beware of revenge when all the poor people stand up.”

Convincing victory disguises steep challenges for Macron

French election 2022: Even with a 'changed' image, Marine Le Pen loses her final presidential race

France has elected a new leader and once again it is centrist Emmanuel Macron, he is the first French president to serve a second term in 20 years. The 44-year-old who came to power as France's youngest-ever president has comfortably defeated far-right rival Marine Le Pen.

French Elections: A second term in office for centrist Emmanuel Macron

After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1980s. In general, low turnout is attributed to multiple reasons but ultimately affecting the results. Let's have a look at what happened in France on election day.

What factors lead to a low voter turnout in France?

French Elections: Emmanuel Macron becomes first French Prez to win second term in 2 decades

Does Marine Le Pen stand a chance in French Presidential Elections? In 2017, far-right politician Le Pen lost the race to Emmanuel Macron by a margin of 10 million votes. In 2022 Presidential Elections, the chances of her victory seem more probable

French Presidential Elections: Can Marine Le Pen win the Presidential race?

To get your day started, here are some stories:

Today, France faces the final showdown in its Presidential elections, voting is slated to begin on the French mainland in a few hours. In other news,&nbsp;President Vladimir Putin’s rumoured girlfriend Alina Kabaeva made her first public appearance since the Ukrainian invasion. Meanwhile&nbsp;on the occasion of World Book Day, Chinese President Xi pushed people to read more books.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/french-presidential-run-off-election-what-you-should-know-473329#macron-vs-le-pen-473326">French presidential run-off election: What you should know</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/2022/04/24/256881-gallery-2.jpg" />

After a turbulent campaign that saw the French far-right come close to winning power, France will vote in presidential elections on Sunday, with a stark choice between centrist President Emmanuel Macron and far-right opponent Marine Le Pen. Catch all the updates here.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/putins-rumored-girlfriend-appears-in-public-for-first-time-since-ukraine-invasion-473332">Putin's rumored girlfriend appears in public for first time since Ukraine invasion</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/24/256885-alina1.jpg" />

Russian President Vladimir Putin's rumoured girlfriend Alina Kabaeva was seen in public for the first time since the Ukrainian invasion at Moscow's VTB Arena, reports claimed.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/president-xis-booklist-tagore-shakespeare-russian-writers-473319">President Xi's booklist: Tagore, Shakespeare &amp; Russian writers</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/24/256874-prez1.jpg" />

Chinese President Xi urged people to read more on the occasion of World Book Day as his book recommendations began trending on Chinese social media.

The Chinese president also asked Communist Party leaders to "take the lead in reading" and encouraged children to develop reading habits.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/covid-is-here-to-stay-and-it-affects-women-worse-than-men-says-study-473318">Covid is here to stay and it affects women worse than men, says study</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2022/04/21/256170-covid-19.jpg" />

Even after a year of infection and subsequent hospitalisation, not even one in four people can report a full recovery. This indicates that the virus is here to stay and it is on its way to becoming a common condition.

Watch |&nbsp;Israel-Palestine clashes: Israel says two rockets fired from Gaza, UN expresses concern

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/israel-palestine-clashes-israel-says-two-rockets-fired-from-gaza-un-expresses-concern-473334/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

&nbsp;

To get your day started, here are some stories: Today, France faces the final showdown in its Presidential elections, voting is slated to begin on the French mainland in a few hours.

To get your day started, here are some stories: Today, France faces the final showdown in its Presidential elections, voting is slated to begin on the French mainland in a few hours. In other news, President Vladimir Putin’s rumoured girlfriend Alina Kabaeva made her first public appearance since the Ukrainian invasion. Meanwhile on the occasion of World Book Day, Chinese President Xi pushed people to read more books. French presidential run-off election: What you should know After a turbulent campaign that saw the French far-right come close to winning power, France will vote in presidential elections on Sunday, with a stark choice between centrist President Emmanuel Macron and far-right opponent Marine Le Pen. Catch all the updates here. Putin's rumored girlfriend appears in public for first time since Ukraine invasion Russian President Vladimir Putin's rumoured girlfriend Alina Kabaeva was seen in public for the first time since the Ukrainian invasion at Moscow's VTB Arena, reports claimed. President Xi's booklist: Tagore, Shakespeare & Russian writers Chinese President Xi urged people to read more on the occasion of World Book Day as his book recommendations began trending on Chinese social media. The Chinese president also asked Communist Party leaders to "take the lead in reading" and encouraged children to develop reading habits. Covid is here to stay and it affects women worse than men, says study Even after a year of infection and subsequent hospitalisation, not even one in four people can report a full recovery. This indicates that the virus is here to stay and it is on its way to becoming a common condition. Watch | Israel-Palestine clashes: Israel says two rockets fired from Gaza, UN expresses concern

Morning news brief: French presidential elections updates, Putin’s rumoured girlfriend appearance, and more

When President Emmanuel Macron came to power, he had economic reforms on his mind, little did he know that he would face a number of protests during his tenure. Five years ago, Macron became the youngest French leader since Napoleon

French Presidential Elections: Will Macron get a second term?

Now it is D-day in France as ballets will open in a couple of hours from now and people will soon decide who will be the next French President. The choices between two leaders with starkly different ideologies, incumbent president and centrist leader, Emmanuel Macron and on the other hand, far-right leader, Marine Le Pen

French Presidential Elections: Final round of voting France

On Sunday France will vote for the leader that'll take its helm for the next five years. As we all know, the top two candidates are still the far-right Marine Le Pen and the centrist incumbent President Emmanuel Macron.

If opinion polls are to be believed Macron continues to hold a solid 10 point lead over his top contender, a lead that is far lacking as compared to the 2017 elections that saw the same two candidates competing, with the incumbent carrying the day with 66 per cent to 34 per cent.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-presidential-elections-2022-runoff-voting-how-does-the-polling-system-work-472305" hreflang="en">French presidential elections 2022 |&nbsp;Runoff voting: How does the polling system work?</a>

Voting has already started, for three million voters in French overseas territories and for the citizens in mainland France it will begin at 0600 GMT, closing 12 hours later.

It is a highly anticipated election, that will go on to showcase if Marine Le Pen has been successful in softening her image. As per an AFP report, while Macron still remains a favourite, if Le Pen were to secure a win, shockwaves will be felt across Europe. Left-leaning EU leaders like the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have already pleaded with French citizens to choose Macron over Le Pen.

Watch |&nbsp;French Presidential election 2022: Who will be the next French President?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/french-presidential-election-2022-who-will-be-the-next-french-president-473289/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Right up till the end the contenders continued to take jibes at each other, with Macron reminding people of his competition's racism, a charge she denies and Le Pen taking aim at her rival's plan to push back the retirement age to 65 from 62.

Even as the far-right candidate denies allegations of racism, people remain worried.&nbsp;

Speaking to Reuters, Ghislaine Madalie, a hairdresser in Auxerre, in central France, said she would vote for Emmanuel Macron. She spoke of her many clients' plans to vote for Le Pen because of their dislike of Macron, something she says is nothing short of disastrous.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-presidential-election-macrons-lead-over-le-pen-widens-in-polls-472246" hreflang="en">French presidential election: Macron's lead over Le Pen widens in polls</a>

"I find that disastrous because she is racist," Madalie, 36, whose family has roots in Morocco said of Le Pen. "I am anxious, for me and for my children."

The stakes are massive: if Le Pen is elected, she will be the first far-right leader in contemporary French history, as well as the first female president. Macron could become the first French president in two decades to be re-elected.

(With inputs from agencies)

On Sunday France will vote for the leader that'll take its helm for the next five years. As we all know, the top two candidates are still the far-right Marine Le Pen and the centrist incumbent President Emmanuel Macron.

On Sunday France will vote for the leader that'll take its helm for the next five years. As we all know, the top two candidates are still the far-right Marine Le Pen and the centrist incumbent President Emmanuel Macron. If opinion polls are to be believed Macron continues to hold a solid 10 point lead over his top contender, a lead that is far lacking as compared to the 2017 elections that saw the same two candidates competing, with the incumbent carrying the day with 66 per cent to 34 per cent. Also read | French presidential elections 2022 | Runoff voting: How does the polling system work? Voting has already started, for three million voters in French overseas territories and for the citizens in mainland France it will begin at 0600 GMT, closing 12 hours later. It is a highly anticipated election, that will go on to showcase if Marine Le Pen has been successful in softening her image. As per an AFP report, while Macron still remains a favourite, if Le Pen were to secure a win, shockwaves will be felt across Europe. Left-leaning EU leaders like the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have already pleaded with French citizens to choose Macron over Le Pen. Watch | French Presidential election 2022: Who will be the next French President? Right up till the end the contenders continued to take jibes at each other, with Macron reminding people of his competition's racism, a charge she denies and Le Pen taking aim at her rival's plan to push back the retirement age to 65 from 62. Even as the far-right candidate denies allegations of racism, people remain worried. Speaking to Reuters, Ghislaine Madalie, a hairdresser in Auxerre, in central France, said she would vote for Emmanuel Macron. She spoke of her many clients' plans to vote for Le Pen because of their dislike of Macron, something she says is nothing short of disastrous. Also read | French presidential election: Macron's lead over Le Pen widens in polls "I find that disastrous because she is racist," Madalie, 36, whose family has roots in Morocco said of Le Pen. "I am anxious, for me and for my children." The stakes are massive: if Le Pen is elected, she will be the first far-right leader in contemporary French history, as well as the first female president. Macron could become the first French president in two decades to be re-elected. (With inputs from agencies)

Le Pen vs Macron: France is gearing up for the last fight, with voting taking place today

French presidential run-off election: What you should know

In France, ballets have opened across the nation and people will soon decide who will be the next French President. The choices between two leaders , incumbent president and centrist leader, Emmanuel Macron and on the other hand, far-right leader, Marine Le Pen. To get more perspective, we're joined by Elijah De Zayas, War correspondent from Paris

French Presidential Elections: Final quest for votes after fiery debate

In France, ballets have opened across the nation and people will soon decide who will be the next French President. The choices between two leaders with starkly different ideologies, incumbent president and centrist leader, Emmanuel Macron and on the other hand, far-right leader, Marine Le Pen

French Presidential Elections: Ballots open for voting across France

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